Tag Archives: Salignac Eyvigues

Summer in the Dordogne is always busy and there are always plenty of things to see and do, from wandering around the medieval streets of the historic towns and villages to visiting the numerous local markets, as well as tasting the amazing gastronomic treasures on offer, and don’t forget the wine! However in the height of the summer it’s a must to visit a Soir or Marche Nocturnal

What are they? Well, not markets at all strictly speaking, although there are a mixture of things for sale at them; the main purpose is to sell you food!

How do they work…….. you arrive you find a suitable table (they are all communal) and write your name on the tablecloth like the locals, and having established yourselves you can then wander around the various stalls deciding on what you are going to have for your supper – Moules, snails paella, Chinese, Afro-Caribbean, or simple sausages or steaks, with chips naturally, Lamb kebabs, Duck sausages – every market offers something different and the choices are endless, starters, main courses and puddings. If you arrive early enough you can see everything being cooked from scratch.

Everything is served on plastic plates so all you need to do is choose what to eat, feel free to take your own cutlery/plates and glasses if you don’t want to use the plastic ones provided.

And as usual where there is food there is wine – prices normally range from 5 euros upwards for a bottle.

Usually dancing follows which can be disco or traditional, depending on the market.

The list below may be subject to change so please do check with the local Office de Tourisme.

The Dordogne is part of Aquitaine and is the third largest department in France. It was of great strategic importance throughout the ages, which explains the many ‘bastides’ located there – particularly along the rivers.

The French know the area as the Perigord, and it is divided into four areas, the colours relate to the ‘colour’ of the land as seen from above.

Perigord Pourpre (purple) – the area around Bergerac is the winegrowing region

Perigord Noir (black) – the area around Sarlat-la-Canéda and is covered in dark oak forests.

Perigord Vert (green) – the north of the region and covered in green forested areas.

Perigord Blanc (white) – around Périgueux (the regions capital) and dominated by the white limestone.

A Taste of the Perigord Noir…

The Perigord Noir stretches from Hautefort in the North, down to Villefrance de Perigord in the South.

The area gets its name from the areas of heavily forested areas, and encompasses the Dordogne and the Vezere valley and river.

Probably the most famous town is Sarlat-la-Canéda as it is the most visited in the Dordogne, it is a beautiful medieval town with a bustling market twice a week:

La Roque-Gageac is another popular place to visit and is a scenic village of old stone houses build along the river Dordogne:

Also worth a visit is the monsatic town of Rocamadour (which actually lies in the Lot) perched about the Dordogne river.

Montignac and Lascaux are situated in the Vezere Valley and the Lascaux caves house possibly some of the most famous prehistoric cave paintings in the world and are a Unesco World heritage site. The original paintings of nearly 2,000 figures are now hermetically sealed to help keep them safe and a replica, Lascaux 2 has been created for the public to visit.

Amongst the prehistoric caves and shelters in the area are –

Roque Saint Christophe – this is the remains of a large troglodyte town where Neanderthal Man, and later groups of man would have sheltered. The town would have occupied 5 terraces in the cliff face using naturally hollowed out caves in the limestone cliff and is three hundred feet above the ground and more than half a mile long.

Font de Gaume – The Font de Gaume cave is the last cave containing prehistoric polychrome paintings. Others like the nearby Lascaux caves and Altamira caves in Spain have had to close due to the damage caused by carbon dioxide in the breath of visitors. To preserve its paintings Font de Gaume restricts the number of visitors who can enter the caves each day.

Also worth a visit is the Cavern of Bara Bahau, Laugerie-Basse, Grotte de Rouffignac and the Musée de la Prehistoire Les Eyzies.

The area is also renowned for it’s Chateaux’s and beautiful gardens…

Le Jardins d’Eyrignac near Salignac Eyvigues and the gardens at Le Chateaux de Marquayssac are both listed by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the French Ministry of Culture as ‘Notable Gardens in France’.

The Perigord Noir is perfect for cycling and there are numerous cycle routes across the region catering for every level of cyclist – for all your bike hire needs please contact the Bike Hire Direct Dordogne team at dordogne@bikehiredirect.com or visit the ‘Cycling in the Dordogne‘ page of our website.